Implement for keeping dairy animals

ABSTRACT

An implement for keeping dairy animals, provided with a first and a second production unit and with a care unit having a plurality of subunits, wherein each production unit is provided with at least one accommodation area for a production group, which comprises a group of lactating dairy animals, and with a milking implement for milking the production group, wherein the subunits of the care unit at least include a calving unit for separately accommodating dairy animals in a calving period, and a milking implement for milking newly calved dairy animals, and an infirmary unit for separately accommodating sick animals, and wherein the care unit forms a connection between the production units. There is thus provided a compact disposition, comprising efficient and short distances, for dairy animals requiring care.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Netherlands application number1034796 filed on Dec. 6, 2007 and is a continuation of U.S. applicationSer. No. 12/794,812 filed on Jun. 7, 2010, which is a continuation ofPCT application number PCT/NL2008/000260 filed on Nov. 27, 2008, and acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/510,305filed on Jul. 28, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,232,731. The contents of allapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an implement for keeping dairy animals.In particular, the invention relates to such an implement intended forlarge numbers of dairy animals, in the order of a plurality of hundredsof dairy animals. However, it is not excluded to apply the invention tosmaller numbers of dairy animals.

2. Description of the Related Art

Implements for keeping dairy animals, having a plurality of productionunits, in which lactating dairy animals are kept, are known.

A problem of such implements is that they soon become complex because oftheir size, it being very time-consuming for the manager to provide thecare required.

Thus, there is a particular need for an implement of the mentioned typewhich does not, or at least to a reduced extent, have the mentioneddrawback, and in particular enabling an operation which is littletime-consuming.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses these problems by providing a moreefficient implement for keeping dairy animals.

The invention achieves this object by means of an implement for keepingdairy animals, provided with a first and a second production unit andwith a care unit having a plurality of subunits, wherein each productionunit is provided with at least one accommodation area for a productiongroup, which comprises a group of lactating dairy animals, and a milkingimplement for milking the production group, and wherein the subunits ofthe care unit at least comprise a calving unit for separatelyaccommodating dairy animals in a calving period, and a milking implementfor milking newly calved dairy animals, and an infirmary unit forseparately accommodating sick animals, wherein the care unit forms aconnection between the production units. Such an implement enablesefficient management. The production dairy animals, which do not requireindividual attention, are lodged in production units, while the othergroups, which require attention, such as in particular sick dairyanimals and calving animals, are accommodated in the care unit. By sickanimals are also meant animals that are healthy per se but are somewhatdifficult to milk, such as cows having three teats or animals having ahandicap, such as lameness. The care unit forms a connection between theproduction units, so that the attention can be concentrated on the careunit, which, as a result thereof, is to a greater or lesser extentlocated centrally, while the production units can be reached quickly,and preferably directly, from said care unit. Owing to this, thedistances to be covered are very short, both for the manager or otheroperating person, and for the dairy animals.

The present application describes milk boxes comprising a milkingimplement. However, in some cases, by milking implement will also bemeant the whole of a milk box comprising a milking implement proper.This will be determined by the context.

It is pointed out in PCT/NL/2007/000238, hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, discloses an implement having one or moreproduction sheds and a calving shed. However, a separate unit for sickcows is not mentioned.

In the present invention, it holds that the connection is preferably awalkable connection, such as a walking path. However, it may also relateto a connection between buildings. Advantageously, the production unitsand the care unit are all accommodated in a separate building section,more advantageously in separate buildings. By a building section ismeant a part of a building which comprises an external wall at threesides, such as a wing, and by a separate building is meant a buildinghaving an external wall at four sides. In this case, connectingelements, if any, such as whether or not covered and/or closedcorridors, which occupy less than half of the relevant side, and inparticular less than a quarter of said side, are not taken intoconsideration. The advantage of such separate building sections orbuildings is that the, in particular natural, ventilation of theinternal area can be sufficiently guaranteed.

As described in the foregoing, the care unit comprises a plurality ofsubunits. These may, advantageously, also be accommodated in separatebuildings or building sections, but, of course, at least in separateareas. In particular, if the infirmary unit is accommodated in aseparate building, possible danger of infection will be reduced.

The mentioned calving period refers, incidentally, to a somewhatadaptable period of time, which relates to the time just before, duringand after the actual calving. This period of time comprises, forexample, a spreading in the (calculated) moment of actual calving, aperiod of time which is used in preparation to calving, or as a periodto recover from calving, etc. Each manager can previously select thiscalving period according to his/her wishes.

Advantageously, the milking implement(s) of at least one, and preferablyeach, production unit is (are) positioned at a side thereof which iscontiguous to the care unit. This guarantees that those parts of theproduction units that, on average, will require most attention,maintenance and the like, will be positioned closest to the care unit.Also this contributes to, on average, shorter distances to be covered,and a greater efficiency.

In particular, the subunits of the care unit comprise a dry animal unitfor separate accommodation of dry dairy animals. Dry dairy animals, i.e.non-lactating dairy animals, require less care and receive differentfeed than lactating dairy animals. The accommodation may be designed ina simpler manner and so as to give access to feed different from that ofthe production unit. Also in this case, it may be advantageous toaccommodate the dry animal unit in a separate building, at least aseparate building section. This may, also in this case, improve theventilation.

In embodiments, the care unit comprises an area provided with a freecubicle. For particular animals, such as lame and heavily pregnant dairyanimals, such an area in which a dairy animal can choose her own lyingplace is to be preferred to a cubicle area. A cubicle allows an animalonly a limited lying space which, moreover, is accessible from only oneside.

Advantageously, the production units are elongate and have their shortside facing the care unit. Elongate production units offer a favourablepossibility to achieve, in particular natural, ventilation. The shortside facing the care unit ensures a compact disposition. Moreover, it isvery simple to enlarge the capacity of the implement by extending one ormore production units, whilst maintaining the advantages of theinvention.

The number of production units of the implement is not particularlylimited, but comprises in particular at least three production units,the care unit connecting all at least three production units. In thiscase, there are preferably provided two production units which are inalignment. The entire configuration of the implement may then be in theform of a small letter “h”. Other dispositions, such as those in whichthe care unit comprises an imaginary centre (by imaginary center ismeant a central point, not necessarily marked or designated, but acentre position in the care unit), and the implement comprises at leastthree elongate production units, and all production units have theirshort side facing the centre, preferably in a star-shaped manner, suchas a three-armed star having a mutual angle of 120 degrees, are, ofcourse, also possible.

In other embodiments, the implement comprises four production units,which are disposed in H-shape. In this case, two production units areeach time disposed in alignment and parallel to the two other productionunits. In this embodiment, like in the above-mentioned embodimentcomprising three production units, it is possible to combine two, oreach time two, production units to form a large building. However, inthis case there is a risk of insufficient ventilation, which eitheradversely affects the health of the dairy animals, or is the reason foroften expensive additional ventilation measures. Therefore, in thiscase, the disposition having separate production units according to theinvention offers certain advantages.

In embodiments, at least one of the subunits is provided at least induplicate. In other words, the implement comprises at least two calvingunits, dry animal units and/or infirmary units. This may, for example,offer advantages in relation to the surveyability of the group of dairyanimals to be accommodated therein, to the prevention of possible dangerof infection caused by too large groups of segregated animals, or to thewish to provide separate subunits per production group, so that allanimals of said production group and the associated subunits will, ineach case, continue to form a group as a whole. This could not onlypromote quietness and/or calmness among the animals, but, in this case,also counteract the transmission of contagious diseases to otherproduction groups.

Advantageously, the milking implement of the production unit comprises amilking robot. Especially in the case of such an automated milkingimplement, the amount of work in the production group is stronglyreduced, and the advantages of the invention reveal themselves clearly,because the “real” work can then practically be limited to the careunit. More precisely, it holds that in particular the supervision byexperienced personnel, such as a veterinary surgeon, should preferablybe limited to a central and limited area, namely the care unit. Insofaras the production units require supervision, this can usually be carriedout by less experienced personnel, which makes the implement moreefficient. All these things apply in particular if at least theproduction groups are provided with an automatic feeding device forfeeding the dairy animals of the relevant production group. This resultsin a substantially autonomous unit, diseases and other unforeseencircumstances not being taken into account.

In one embodiment according to the invention, each production unitcomprises two accommodation areas for a matching production group and/oreach accommodation area comprises at least two milking robots formilking dairy animals of the production group. Advantageously, animplement according to the invention comprises a passage provided withan identification device to identify a dairy animal and let it passselectively, which passage forms a connection between two subunits orbetween a production unit and the care unit, and also comprises acontrolling computer for controlling the passage. This provides thepossibility of making a desirable split in two per production unit, forexample in the case of two separate insemination periods. For example,one sub-group can then remain segregated from the other, and can also betransferred separately to a calving unit, if desired. This islabour-saving.

In another embodiment, at least one production unit comprises at leasttwo milk boxes, one clean access area, separated from the accommodationarea, for access to the milk boxes, and at least one segregation area,separated from the production area and the access area, for dairyanimals to be segregated from the production group. In this case, inparticular, but not necessarily, the number of milk boxes is larger thanthe number of segregation areas, at any rate for at least one accessarea the matching number of milk boxes is larger than the number ofsegregation areas, and, between the milk boxes, there is provided acontrollable passage which is arranged to lead a to be segregated dairyanimal from a first milk box, via a second milk box, to the segregationarea. A separated clean access area comprises especially an area foraccess to the milking implements of the milk boxes, such as milkingrobots, without the necessity of walking through an accommodation area,in particular over a shed floor. This has the advantage of cleanerworking, reduced risk of contamination, infection, etc. However, if nosegregation area per milk box is provided, and moreover more than twomilk boxes per separate clean access area are provided, the mentionedembodiment will be favourable. Otherwise, it is not simple to lead adairy animal that, on the basis of the findings, should be segregated inthe milking robot box, which is not directly located next to thesegregation area, to the segregation area, of course without crossingthe clean access area. By leading a dairy animal from such a more remotemilk box, via that milk box that is located next to the segregationarea, and if desired via one or more intermediate milk boxes, thisproblem can be solved.

In this case, the controllable passage may comprise one or more gateswhich are controllable by a control unit and which either release apassage from the milk box to the accommodation area (i.e. the normalexit), or form a passage to a next milk box. One of ordinary skill inthe art can perform this in a simple manner, whether or not with the aidof the accompanying drawing and the description thereof.

Incidentally, the advantage of the mentioned embodiments comprising thecontrollable passage also reveals itself in implements different fromthose according to the first aspect of the invention. Therefore, theinvention further relates to an implement for keeping dairy animals,provided with an accommodation area for a production group, whichproduction group comprises a group of lactating dairy animals, at leasttwo milk boxes and at least one segregation area, separated from theaccommodation area, for dairy animals to be segregated from theproduction group, characterized in that, between the milk boxes, thereis provided a controllable passage which is arranged to lead a to besegregated dairy animal from a first milk box, via a second milk box, tothe segregation area.

By leading dairy animals to be segregated to the segregation area via anexisting milk box, no separate access path from the first milk box tothe segregation area is required. This saves labour and fencing. It isthus also possible to lead dairy animals from a plurality of milk boxesto a single segregation area.

In another embodiment, the milk box comprises a milking robot forautomatically connecting teat cups to the teats of a dairy animal. Sucha milk box is capable of operating fully automatically and comprises anautomatically controllable entrance and exit gate. It is thus possibleto use these gates in an advantageous manner for automatically leading adairy animal to a second milk box.

In a further embodiment, the implement comprises a clean access area,separated from the accommodation area, for allowing an operator accessto the milk boxes. This makes it possible for an operator to reach themilk boxes without walking over a surface which is contaminable by thedairy animals. Preferably, a milk box has a clean long side, providedwith control and regulation means and contiguous to the clean accessarea, and a dirty long side provided with an entrance and exit gate forthe dairy animal.

It is further advantageous if the number of milk boxes is larger thanthe number of segregation areas. In this manner, the same clean accesscan be used to have access to a plurality of milk boxes, which isspace-saving. In the case of a clean access area, the possibilities ofleading animals from a plurality of milk boxes to a segregation area arestill somewhat more limited, so that in this case the advantage of thisaspect of the invention comes out to a still greater extent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated uponreference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top view of an example of an implementaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of an alternative implement;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic and enlarged view of a detail of an implementaccording to FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic top view of an alternative implement accordingto the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The following is a description of certain embodiments of the invention,given by way of example only and with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1is a diagrammatic top view of an example of an implement 1 according tothe invention. Here, 2 designates a care unit, and A to D are productionunits.

The care unit 2 comprises two dry animal units 3, two calving units 4and two infirmary units 7. The dry animal units 3 comprise not furtherdesignated boxes and feeding devices for the dairy animals. The calvingunits 4 comprise, besides a general area, also calving boxes 5, as wellas a milk box 6. The infirmary units 7 comprise, for example, a cubicle8 and also a milk box 6. The production units A to D comprise boxes 11,a partition 12, a first milk box 13 and a second milk box 13′, a firstsegregation area 14 and a second segregation area 14′, as well as aclean access area 15. Furthermore, there are optionally provided anoffice/storage area 9, as well as a milk storage in the form of tanks10.

It should be noted that the dry animal units 3 do not necessarilyconstitute part of the care unit 2. For, dry dairy animals require onlyvery little care, in practice hardly more than, preferably automated,feeding and from time to time a control visit. For this reason, the dryanimal units 3 may be provided even most remotely from the rest of thecare unit 2. Nevertheless, it may also offer advantages to provide thedry animal unit as shown in FIG. 1, for example if groups of animals aretreated as described in the above-mentioned PCT patent application. Theroute to be covered then remains limited.

The calving unit 4 comprises calving boxes 5 for just calved animals, aswell as a general area for animals that are about to calve. The milkingimplement provided in the milk box 6 serves to milk mother animals thathave just calved. Firstly, colostrum can thus be collected and suppliedto the calves, and secondly, by means of a specific milking regime, themilk production can have a good start. Besides, it is beyond disputethat the animals require extra attention and care in the calving period.

The infirmary units 7 comprise segregated dairy animals, for examplesick animals, wounded animals, too nervous animals, or animals thatrequire otherwise extra attention, for example dairy animals having adeviating number of teats, etc. Care specifically attuned to theseanimals may be provided in the form of special cubicles 8, etc. Isolatedareas may be provided, if desired. The also provided milking implementin the milk box 6 could, for example, be provided with special,additional or more sensitive measuring equipment for monitoring healthand/or milk quality.

The production units A to D accommodate large numbers of dairy animals.These may, if desired, be subdivided into two or more subgroups, such aswith the aid of the only partially shown partition 12. Of course, thereshould be provided for each subgroup at least one milk box 13, 13′comprising a milking implement, and advantageously at least two, so thatdairy animals have at least a chance of being milked, also in the caseof a failure. Other components that are normally present, such as milklines for conveying the collected milk to storage tanks 10, are notshown. Feeding devices, preferably automatic feeding devices, areneither depicted.

Each production unit A, B, C, D comprises two milk boxes 13 providedwith a milking implement, as well as two segregation areas 14, forexample for animals that could not be milked or whose milk or milkingbehaviour indicates that they are ill. If necessary, these animals cansubsequently be transferred to the infirmary units 7. There may also beprovided different numbers of milking robots, such as three or four perproduction unit. It should furthermore be noted that the productionunits are substantially elongate, in order thus to guarantee sufficientventilation. The intermediate areas between the units A, B, C, D alsoserve this purpose.

In the embodiment shown, there is provided a segregation area 14, 14′per milk box 13, 13′. This makes it possible, by means of a simpleselection device (not specifically shown), not to lead a-to-besegregated dairy animal back to the accommodation area 22, but to leadit to the segregation area 14, 14′. It is advantageous to provide thisdevice at an outer side of the production unit. In the case of aninfectious disease, it is not only possible thus to limit the danger ofinfection of healthy animals, but also the route to be covered iftransfer to an infirmary unit or the like is necessary.

There is further shown a clean access area 15 which gives access to themilking robots without having to walk through the accommodation area 22of the production unit. Said access area may also serve as a furtherseparation of the segregation area 14, 14′.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of an alternative implement. Itcomprises five production units A to E, provided with a centrallylocated care unit, also in this case comprising a dry animal unit 3, acalving unit 4 and an infirmary unit 7, surrounded by a passageway orcorridor 16.

The units A to E need not be set up simultaneously, but may also bebuilt successively, according to one's needs, starting from the centralunit. In this case, the central unit has a pentagonal configuration, sothat quadruple extension is possible. Incidentally, such a totalpentagonal configuration is less efficient with regard to the totalsurface use than the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand, acentral passageway 16, in particular a covered passageway, hasadvantages upon transferring animals, and in particular groups ofanimals, from one subunit 3, 4, 7 to another, or from or to a productionunit A-E. Of course, triangular, quadrangular or hexagonal or polygonaldispositions are possible as well.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic and enlarged view of a detail of an implementaccording to FIG. 1, with regard to the disposition of milk boxes 13 ata clean access area 15. Incidentally, FIG. 3 actually shows a largernumber of milk boxes than the number in FIG. 1, which, for reasons ofclarity, is in each case limited to two. Here it holds, like in all theother figures, that similar components are designated by the same orcorresponding reference numerals.

Besides the milk boxes 13-1 to 13-4, the first and second segregationareas 14 and 14′ and the clean access area 15, the implement showncomprises in each case a first selection gate 18, 18′, as well as ineach case two second, third and fourth gates 19/19′, 20/20′ and 21/21′,respectively.

In the position shown in FIG. 3 on the left, the milk box 13-2accommodates a dairy animal that should be segregated to the area 14. Ofcourse, this is not permitted via the clean access area 15, and neithervia the accommodation area 22, because, in that case, the animal is, ofcourse, not led. By now bringing the gates 19 to 21 into the proper,shown position, the dairy animal will cover the route indicated by thedashed line, and arrive, via the milk box 13-1, in the segregation area14. The condition is, of course, that said milk box 13-1 is notoccupied, but this condition can, if need be with some waiting time,always be met. It is pointed out that, if there are provided per cleanaccess area more milk boxes than segregation areas, it is advantageousto provide such a controllable passage from a milk box to a segregationarea. However, also if no clean access area is provided at all, such aled disposition has advantages. Moreover, such a disposition has thementioned advantages, both with conventional milking implements in themilk boxes and with milking robots. It is further pointed out that,instead of a single segregation area 14, there may also be provided aplurality of segregation areas at the place of the single area 14, forexample to segregate sick animals from animals which were only notsuccessfully milked. For this purpose, only the selection gate 18 shouldbe arranged differently. It should be appreciated that one of ordinaryskill in the art will be able to configure other arrangements. Inparticular the gates 20 may also be arranged in a different manner, suchas a single shiftable fencing or the like.

In FIG. 3 on the right, the “normal” position of milk boxes 13-3 and13-4 is shown mirrorwise. In this case, dairy animals are each timemilked without having to be segregated, so that they can return to theaccommodation area 22. The gates 18′ to 21′ may then, for example,assume the shown position.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic top view of an alternative implement accordingto the invention. It comprises six production units A-F and the alreadyabove mentioned subunits 3, 4 and 7, interconnected by means ofcorridors 16.

The disposition comprising six units is very favourable in relation tothe number of production units to be connected to the care unit 2,although also for five units this still holds to a great extent. Thereare still extension possibilities, in the form of elongations A′, B′,etc.

Incidentally, the corridors shown are not necessary. Without them thereis a better mutual separation of the units, while they per se betterisolate the implement as a whole from the external world. Moreover,there may also be provided separate corridors, such as from asegregation area (not separately designated) in production units B and Cto the infirmary unit 7.

The invention relates to implements for dairy animals, wherein the dairyanimals may, for example, be cows, but also goats, sheep, buffalos, etc.The implement shown in FIG. 1 accommodates, for example, more than 300cows, but other dimensions are possible, of course. For the entirefigure description it holds that a milking implement may be aconventional milking implement. However, it is preferably a milkingrobot, so that the labour-saving advantages of the invention show upwell. In the embodiment shown, there are provided freely accessibleboxes as accommodations for the animals. Other accommodations may, ofcourse, be used as well, for example in the form of tied-up stalls orthe like. It further holds that favourable characteristics of allembodiments shown may be mutually combined, unless explicitly excludedin the description.

Thus, the invention has been described by reference to certainembodiments discussed above. It will be recognized that theseembodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternativeforms well known to those of skill in the art. Further modifications inaddition to those described above may be made to the structures andtechniques described herein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention. Accordingly, although specific embodiments have beendescribed, these are examples only and are not limiting upon the scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An implement for keeping dairy animals,comprising: an accommodation area for a production group, the productiongroup comprising a group of lactating dairy animals, at least onesegregation area, separated from the accommodation area, for dairyanimals to be segregated from the production group, a first milk box, asecond milk box, a control unit, and a controllable passage which isprovided between the first and second milk boxes, wherein thecontrollable passage comprises gates controlled by the control unit,wherein the control unit is programmed so as to control the gates of thecontrollable passage in such a manner that if the second milk boxaccommodates a dairy animal which is to be segregated, said dairy animalto be segregated is led from the second milk box, via the controllablepassage and through the first milk box, to the segregation area.
 2. Theimplement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of the milk boxes comprises a milking robot for automaticallyconnecting teat cups to the teats of the dairy animal.
 3. The implementfor keeping dairy animals according to claim 1, wherein the implementcomprises a clean access area separated from the accommodation area forallowing an operator access to the milk boxes.
 4. The implement forkeeping dairy animals according to claim 1, wherein the number of milkboxes is larger than the number of segregation areas.
 5. The implementfor keeping dairy animals according to claim 1, wherein the control unitis programmed so as to control the gates of the controllable passage insuch a manner that if the second milk box accommodates a dairy animalwhich is not to be segregated, said dairy animal not to be segregated isled from the second milk box via the controllable passage to theaccommodation area without passing through the first milk box.
 6. Theimplement for keeping dairy animals according to claim 1, wherein theaccommodation area is configured with a plurality of cubicles forkeeping individual dairy animals of a production group.
 7. A method formanaging dairy animals that are kept in an implement, the implementcomprising: an accommodation area for a production group, the productiongroup comprising a group of lactating dairy animals, at least onesegregation area, separated from the accommodation area, for dairyanimals to be segregated from the production group, a first milk box, asecond milk box, a control unit, and a controllable passage which isprovided between the first and second milk boxes, wherein thecontrollable passage comprises gates controlled by the control unit, themethod comprising: controlling the gates of the controllable passageusing the control unit in such a manner that if the second milk boxaccommodates a dairy animal which is to be segregated, said dairy animalto be segregated is led from the second milk box, via the controllablepassage and through the first milk box, to the segregation area.
 8. Themethod according to claim 7, wherein the gates of the controllablepassage are controlled using the control unit in such a manner that ifthe second milk box accommodates a dairy animal which is not to besegregated, said dairy animal not to be segregated is led from thesecond milk box via the controllable passage to the accommodation areawithout passing through the first milk box.
 9. The method according toclaim 7, wherein the accommodation area is configured with a pluralityof cubicles for keeping individual dairy animals of a production group.